Breech-loading gun.



P. M. PARWELL @L G. I'. SGHAPBR.

BREEGH LOADING GUN.

APPLICATION FILED OOT. 15

I Patented July 6,1909. l

SDN Q15@ N.

u n I am@ we FREDERICK M. FARWELL AND GEORGE F. SOHAFER, OF BATAVIA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORSy n nic TO BAKER GUN & FORGING COMPANY, OF BATAV IA, NEW YORK.

BREECI-I-LOADING GUN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6, 1909.

Application led ctoberi, 1906. Serial No. 338,954.

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that we, FREDERICK M. FAR- wnLL and GEORGE F. SCHAFER, citizens of the United States, residing at Batavia, in the county of Genesee and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Breech-Loading Guns, of which the following is a specification.

rlhis invention relates more particularly to locks for the fore-ends of breech-loading guns of that type in which the fore-end forms a part of the hinge connection between the barrel and the stock whichcan be separated only by first removing the fore-end. The invention is es ecially useful in guns having an automatic s ell ejector.

One of the most common locks for the foreend consists of a spring or lever which is pivoted at one end on the fore-end and bears at the other free end against a depending lug on the barrel. ln applying the fore-end its rear end is placed against the front end of the breech frame with the free end of the lock lever or spring against the barrel lug and is pressed forcibly against the barrel. ln thus forcing the fore-end into place the lock lever will be bowed or sprung somewhat and will, by reason of its resilience, press the fore-end rearwardly snugly against the end of the breech frame. lf the parts are not well matched, or if they become loose from wear, or the spring is weak, the fore-end is liable to be accidentally detached in handling the gun. This is especially true of guns of this type which are equipped with an automatic shell ejector having an actuating spring on the fore-end which is compressed by the act of closing the breech or applying the fore-end to the gun, because these springs, which must be of considerable strength, press the fore-end forwardly in opposition to the ac tion of the lock spring or lever.

The object of this invention is to provide an eiiicient and desirable supplemental lock for the fore-end which will coperate with the main lock lever or spring to positively and securely retain the fore-end in place, but which, at the same time, can be actuated with ease and facility to release the fore-end, and will be located where it will be virtually out of sight and cannot be accidentally engaged and actuated by the hand in using the un. g Another object of the invention is to improve the construction of fore-end locks in the respects hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a portion of a gun equipped with a fore-end embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is an inverted sectional plan thereof in line 2-2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section thereof in line 3 8, Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevation similar to Fig. l, showing the su plemental lock in released position.

ike letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

The fore-end lock is illustrated as applied to a doublebarreled gun but it is equally adapted for single-barreled guns.

A, Fig. 2, represents a portion ofthe breech frame7 a the hinge pin or pivot at the front end thereof, B portions of the barrels, C the hinge lug on the barrels, l) the fore-end, and E the pivoted lock lever or spring for releasably securing the fore-end on the barrels. rlhe hinge lug C enters a cavity c in the breech frame and bears against the rear side of the hinge pin or pivot a, while the rear end of the fore-end bears against the rounded front end of the breech frame to prevent the disengagement of the barrels from the stock except when the fore-end is removed. The lock lever is pivoted, as usual, to the metal tang 0r piece e of the fore-end and bears at its free end against the usual depending lug e on the barrels, and, as before explained, the parts are so related that in applying the fore-end the lever is sprung somewhat and by its resilience acts to press the fore-end rearwardly snugly against the pivot or front end of the breech frame.

e2 represents the usual spring for swinging the free end of the lock lever outwardly. These parts and their functions are well known and they may be of any usual or suitable construction.

rlhe supplemental lock is constructed as follows: The barrel lug e', which enters an opening in the tang of the fore-end, has a depending catch proj ection f with a shoulder on its rear side adapted to engage with a supplemental latch or bolt F which is mounted in the fcre-end to move longitudinally thereof. The latch is suitably constructed so that it will engage with the catch shoulder by a forward movement, in which direction it is pressed by a suitable spring g while it will be released from the catch by a rearward movement. A coil spring is shown for operating the latch arranged between a lug thereon and the front end of the tang e, but a spring of other form or arrangement could be used. The latch shown is slotted to receive the catch and the shoulder of the latter engages with the rear edge of the latch slot. The lower end of the catch f and the coperating edge of the latch are preferably beveled so that the latch can snap into engagement with the catch when the fore-end is pressed toward the barrel. As shown, the latch is arranged to slide against the lower face of the tang e andv is held in place and guided by a plate h which is secured to the tang beneath the latch by a screw 7L and has a guide rib which extends up into the latch slot. I represents a push rod extending forwardly from the latch through the front end of the foreend for operating the latch. For convenience in manufacture, the push rod is made separate from the latch butit could be an integral extension thereof. The push rod projects only far enough from the tip of the foreend to be engaged by the finger when placed on the front extremity of the fore-end for pulling it away from the barrels. The push rod is thus in the most convenient location for operating the latch and is practically hidden from view and where it cannot be accidentally engaged and actuated in the use of the gun, which would not be true of an operating part extending downwardly through the fore-end. The fact that the latch is disengaged by a rearward movement and engaged by the forward pressure of its spring makes it impossible to accidentally release the latch by the forward pull on the fore-end which results from the recoil in discharging the gun. A movement of the fore-end thus caused would tend rather to more firmly seat the latch than release it. A supplemental lock or latch similarly located and operated, but of different construction, could be employed.

4 An automatic shell ejector of the sort before mentioned is illustrated in the drawings. K represents a portion of one of the extractor bars and L operating plungers for these extractor bars which are actuated by rearwardly acting springs Z. When the breech is closed the extractor bars are pressed forwardly by engagement with the breech block and move the plungers forwardly, thereby compressing the springs. The springs are also compressed in applying the fore-end to the gun. These springs, which are very strong, when strained or compressed exert a forward pressure on the fore-end in opposition to the rearward pressure of the fore-end lock spring or lever E and but for the supplemental lock or latch described might release the fore-end. The supplemental latch is, therefore, especiallyuseful in a gun with such an ejector and makes it possible to use a lighter or weaker lock lever or spring E.

We claim as our invention:

1. The combination with a gun barrel, a fore-end, and an ejector having a spring which exerts a forward pressure on said foreend, of a primary fore-end lock which exerts a rearward pressure on the fore-end, and a supplemental fore-end lock comprising a catch on the barrel and a cooperating latch movable forwardly of the gun on the fore end into locking engagement with said catch and having an operating part located at the front extremity of the fore-end, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a gun barrel, a fore-end, and an ejector spring which tends to press the fore-end forwardly, of a primary fore-end lock which presses the fore-end rearwardly against the forward tendency of said ejector spring, and a supplemental fore-end lock comprising a part which is moved forwardly into locking engagement whereby the same cannot be released by the forward pressure of the ejector spring which tends to release the primary lock, substantially as set forth.

Witness our hands, this 11th day of October, 1906.

FREDERICK M. FARWELL. GEORGE F. SCHAFER. Witnesses: l

E. S. WATSON, C. LEONARD. 

